Pages

The Mystery Of The Corduroy*

So, 'they' say that, “fashions change
but style is eternal”; Well I feel there is an anomalous species of garment
which as of this moment I am entirely unsure under which of these two
categories I would or even could place it. Jeans straight cut with plain white
tee equals eternal style; suit, 3 piece, tailored, English cut; also equals
eternal style. Flared or ripped jeans, fashion, studded leather boots also
fashion, body piercing, definitely fashion, for the time being at least; you
get my point. The species of garment fabric I am referring to is of course the
legendary corduroy.

You see, corduroy first came into
existence during the 18th Century, but it really became prominent as a
material worn by the masses during the height of the Industrial Revolution.
Cords were particularly popular with the working class populations of the
Industrial towns the length and breadth of the country. It was the 'go to' fabric
and before long absolutely everybody was wearing corduroy, from suits to
trousers to jackets; Rich and poor could afford to invest in some sturdy hard
wearing and durable corduroys, but then almost as quickly as it had arrived on
the scene, cords just seemed to disappear, overnight, as if a radio news bulletin
had warned the population that the production and or the wearing of corduroy
clothing may well lead to one's demise. So that was it; Gone, done and dusted,
or so 'they' thought.

Fast forward 60 years, that's right,
the “Swinging Sixties” as they are affectionately referred to (by those rare
creatures who lived through that time and more impressively whom can still
remember it) and like a sudden
sub-conscious societal flashback, corduroy is back, and by the time the
Seventies arrived, corduroy was ready to explode onto the global scene. From
the corduroy flares in bold vibrant yellows and blues to the more earthy dark
browns and rusty orange colours, to the eccentric looking suits, corduroy once again, as if
in some Victorian inspired renaissance in the midst of all the freedom,
protests for world peace and the general enlightenment of western society with
regards to sexual relationships, gender, equality, race and all that good stuff; for some reason amidst all that liberal flowery hippy love and rock and roll,
everyone wanted to dress in the same material as their austere, poverty stricken rough and tough Victorian forebears which besides anything else is quite a quirky and interesting fact in and of itself.

Then the 80's arrive and again cords
(as we corduroy lovers affectionately refer to the fabric) were gone, dying out
again. Replaced by the popularity of Jeans especially. It's easier for me to
understand the popularity of cords in the Victorian era due to the
affordability and the afore-mentioned durability of the fabric, chimney sweeps and
manual labourers as well Farmers would reap the benefit from this and also from the maneuverability
afforded by corduroys and the warmth they offer in cold temperatures, you can see some cool examples of modern Corduroys at Chums.

#CorduroyComeback

And now in the 21st
century, again there has been and is currently ongoing, an absolute revival of
the fabled corduroy, I'm seeing it everywhere on the high street again. Why? I am not
sure of the reason, nor even if there is 'a' reason, (more likely there are more than one), but maybe those same benefits
of corduroys to the Victorian wearer are actually the same reasons why it has
never fully left our collective fashion psyche as it were, perhaps it is a material just too
warm, too comfortable and too striking to be forgotten completely.

It is interesting that a material which was once valued so highly by the Victorians would later become adopted by a society and culture in many ways completely antithetical. Cords were functional and served a purpose. perhaps with the liberal
society in which we live corduroys could be perceived as a symbol of a harder
time, a more austere time, but by its popularity in the 60's and 70's corduroy
became one of the most visual props of those decades, as recognisable as Rock 'n' Roll and Hippies; a symbol of liberality and of the forward thinking open minded progression which was sweeping our culture.
Maybe in today's world, once again, the revival of the corduroy could be the
indication of a people who are awakening in some sense. We are more connected
now than ever, more connected to each other and to our history, more aware of
the human footprints being left on this Earth. Perhaps the corduroy loving
hippies of 50 years ago are continuing to influence fashion trends even now in
our liberal society.

The velvety comfort of corduroy I
believe is its ageless/timeless USP (Unique Selling Point), the velvety feel
enables the wearer to luxuriate in wearing the fabric. So comfortable are
Corduroys that many believed the name itself to be from the French, meaning
Cloth of Kings, although this has later proven to be apocryphal, it
nevertheless indicates one of the most alluring attributes of this particular
type of cloth. But still, I am struggling to decide whether cords are simply a carousel like fashion statement, or a staple of quintessential British style and comfort, its intermittent
revivals proving its timeless application and worth.